title: Pulmonary vein isolation with complex fractionated atrial electrogram ablation for paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal atrial fibrillation: A meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is recognized as a potentially curative treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). Ablation of complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) in addition to PVI has been advocated as a means to improve procedural outcomes, but the benefit remains unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study sought t synthesize the available data testing the incremental benefit of adding CFAE ablation to PVI.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a meta-analysis of controlled studies comparing the effect of PVI with CFAE ablation vs. PVI alone in patients with paroxysmal and nonparoxysmal AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 481 reports identified, 8 studies met our inclusion criteria. There was a statistically significant increase in freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmia (AT) with the addition of CFAE ablation (relative risk [RR] 1.15, P = .03). In the 5 reports of nonparoxysmal AF (3 randomized controlled trials, 1 controlled clinical trial, and 1 trial using matched historical controls), addition of CFAE ablation resulted in a statistically significant increase in freedom from AT (n = 112 of 181 [62%] for PVI+CFAE vs. n = 84 of 179 [47%] for PVI alone; RR 1.32, P = .02). In trials of paroxysmal AF (3 randomized controlled trials and 1 trial using matched historical controls), addition of CFAE ablation did not result in a statistically significant increase in freedom from AT (n = 131 of 166 [79%] for PVI+CFAE vs. n = 122 of 164 [74%] for PVI alone; RR 1.04, P = .52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In these studies of patients with nonparoxysmal AF, addition of CFAE ablation to PVI results in greater improvement in freedom from AF. No additional benefit of this combined approach was observed in patients with paroxysmal AF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Gaurav A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.forename: Theofanie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mela
authors.forename: Patrick T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ellinor
authors.forename: Conor D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: E Kevin
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Heist
authors.forename: Atul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Niteesh K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Choudhry
authors.forename: Jagmeet P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac / Q000379:methods*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D013614:Tachycardia, Paroxysmal / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome